Two blasts at Brussels airport, one at metro; several feared dead

A series of explosions rocked Brussels airport and the metro system on Tuesday, leaving at least 13 dead and several wounded, Belgian media said.

Belgian broadcaster VRT said there were at least 13 dead and 35 wounded. Belgian government has confirmed casualties but has not given numbers.

Two explosions took place in the departures area of Zaventem airport shortly after 8 am local time, one of them near the Americal Airlines desk. An hour later another explosion hit Maalbeek metro station which is close to the European Union institutions.

Television images showed passengers fleeing chaotic scenes, with thick black smoke rising from the terminal building, where the windows had been shattered.

Witnesses told Belga news agency there had been shots and shouts in Arabic at the airport before the blasts hit the departure hall.Interior Minister Jan Jambon announced that Belgium's terror threat had been raised to its highest level.

Images on social media showed collapsed floor tiles littering the floor of the terminal hall. The airport has been shut down until further notice, Eurocontrol, the European organisation for air navigation safety, confirmed on its website.